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"Oh! Just who I wanted to see~ Hello, hello, MERUMERU~"
A heavy sigh, a roll of the eyes, a dry greeting of "Amagi..." - just the hello Rinne expected from HiMERU. His unitmate was sitting in the otherwise empty Seisoukan common room, tablet on his lap and boxed into the sofa by a spread of magazines. Their glossy pages overlapped themselves and HiMERU's legs like a laminated blanket. HiMERU didn't normally bring work outside of ES, but today the dorm couch seemed to be his office of choice.
This was a favorable outcome for Rinne, who was looking for something to entertain himself, lest he spend the dregs of his money at the pachinko parlor. He leaned over the arm of the couch, getting a better look at the black suits and white gloves decorating the magazine pages. "Midnight Butlers? You guys doin' a sequel?"
"Hardly. This is for a pop-up cafe," HiMERU explained, not sparing Rinne a glance. "They want us to shoot for an upcoming butlers day event, to accompany their current maid day one."
"Hah? A pop-up cafe?" There was a space on Time Street that was often occupied by them - smartly designed cafes meant to draw in fans of whatever they were themed after. It wasn't the kind of place that would hire the Midnight Butlers cast to be actual butlers, just sell merchandise and themed drinks. So why would HiMERU need so many magazines for a simple photoshoot? "What kinda research do you need to do for that?"
"HiMERU is preparing a workshop for his fellow Midnight Butlers."
"I know you like to be at the top of your game, but this is way too much effort, HiMERUNRUN. It's just a photoshoot, right? Isn't this just a waste of time?"
Instead of answering him, HiMERU leveled him with a piercing look. Rinne frowned, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling from HiMERU's scrutiny. HiMERU must've found what he was looking for, because he rolled his eyes a moment later. "If you're looking for entertainment, you'd be better off watching TV, or bothering someone else." HiMERU's voice was clipped; a dismissal.
"Aw, don't be like that MERUMERU~ Listen to your old pal Rinne-sama, would ya? It's not like you need to brush up on the role, as a seasoned idol-slash-actor."
The gold of HiMERU's eyes scanned over his tablet, not deigning him with a response. Rinne didn't pout, but it was a close thing. "Most of your co-stars are old hat at this stuff anyway. C'mon, let's play something instead."
"..."
"I'll go easy on ya at M-Anstars. Oh, or we can call up Niki and Kohaku-chan and get a game of mahjong going. That sounds fun, doesn't it?"
Nothing.
"Tch." Stubborn bastard. HiMERU's lukewarm reaction made Rinne consider throwing in the towel - he could find someone easier to bother into entertaining him - but then something caught his eye. At arm's length from him lay HiMERU's cell phone, unlocked and forgotten. Ripe for the picking.
A dreadful, mischievous grin spread across Rinne's face. HiMERU glanced up, as if sensing an impending doom, but it was too late. Before he knew what happened, Rinne pounced, snatching up the phone and dancing away to another couch with a victorious cackle.
HiMERU straightened, arm whipping out to stop him, but Rinne was already out of reach. "Amagi-!"
"Kyaha, got your phone~☆ What're you gonna do, MERUMERU? You can't call for help without it~"
HiMERU sighed. His eyes roved over the blanket of magazines covering his lap, before landing on the captive phone in Rinne's possession. Rinne waved it tauntingly while HiMERU weighed his options.
In the end, HiMERU thudded back against the couch in defeat, returning to his tablet with a grave face. "Don't contact anyone through Hold Hands," he commanded, voice annoyed but carrying no threat.
Victorious, Rinne held the phone out and took a winning selfie, tongue sticking out and face contorted in a sly grin. He set it as the wallpaper: his handsome face made for a much better background than the factory setting gradient HiMERU never bothered to change.
Satisfied with his first stunt, Rinne thumbed through the settings, adjusting them to his whimsy: changing the menu colors, adjusting the screen timeout, setting his thumbprint under biometrics - until he reached the ringtones. He cackled to himself as he set Noisy Beep as HiMERU's ringtone, and then his alarm as well.
After, Rinne opened Hold Hands just to spite HiMERU, only to find the app password protected. He tsked at HiMERU's secrecy before pulling up the menu to find a different app to mess around with.
He found his prize listed after all the necessary apps, hiding away in a folder as if it was a dirty little secret.
Jackpot.
Akehoshi Subaru gave an enticing wink on the icon's face, crammed into what little space was available above its ridiculous acronym. Rinne grinned viciously. "HiMERUNRUN's still got that smile salt lab game on his phone, I see~" Rinne teased.
"It's pronounced SMISLT:LAB."
"Yes, yes - you would know better than me~"
After their collaboration with the game, they both knew the acronym for So Many Idols, So Little Time: Love's A Battle. The smartphone-turned-virtual-reality game that starred real life idols who fell in love with the producer protagonist. HiMERU played through a surprising amount of it when they collaborated, which was a feat of dedication Rinne appreciated and expected from such a seasoned idol.
Rinne happily thumbed open the app, waiting for HiMERU to react as he turned the volume up. The loading screen was packed with sparkling idols from ES, as well as other agencies across Japan. It took a minute to load the update data - proof that HiMERU hadn't opened it in a while.
There it was - a narrowed gaze meeting Rinne's for an instant; HiMERU's eyebrows wrinkling his smooth forehead and his mouth pulled in a tight, dissatisfied line. It only lasted a second before HiMERU flicked his bangs and turned toward one of the many magazines scattered about. His knuckles were stretched taut as he flipped through an article. Just the reaction Rinne was hoping for.
Once the game loaded, Rinne was met with a surprising face on the home screen: a floaty, blue haired idol he yielded the bathtub to on his way out of the dorms earlier this morning. "Oh! Kanacchi, good choice MERU! Should I get out the poppers and streamers and help set up a blind date?"
HiMERU sighed. "The last time HiMERU bothered to open that app, there was a RYUSEITAI event - nothing more. Shinkai being there does not reflect HiMERU's preference in idols."
"No fun~" Rinne teased, sticking his tongue out at HiMERU before turning his attention fully to the game. He clicked into the list of idols just to see whose events HiMERU played and who he might know from around ES.
Games like this didn't interest Rinne - he'd rather talk face-to-face with the real deal than interact with a digital husk of them. Idols were meant to be shining, and although the app could capture pieces of idols' ideal forms, it was never as interesting as real life. No idol was perfect, and it was imperfection that made them more interesting.
He wasn't, however, immune to the appeal - his heart flipped and he paused his scrolling as a familiar face appeared on the screen. Winking at him with a wide smile, a little peak of tongue sticking out, was Niki. His bangs were disheveled, but in a purposeful, handsome way. The bright yellow accents on his black and white jacket made him stand out amongst the other idols. With his playful, charming nature on display, even the strongest of men would feel compelled to click into his profile. How could Rinne attempt to resist the sum of Niki's charms?
Maybe he could give the game a shot. There was a SSVRS headset next to the TV.
He clicked into Niki's profile, finger curving reverently around his picture. Height, weight, age; the general information they filled out when they filmed for the game. It was when he saw the list of character episodes that his eyes widened in surprise. "We only did those few recordings, right? Why does Niki have so many?" There was the job with ALKALOID, as well as a session to film a general story, but Niki had twice as many listed under him!
"The company got ahold of his shuffle unit, and their dating theme was a big hit so they've done a few sequel events since. If HiMERU is honest, he's glad that became more popular than the farce of a job we were stuck with."
Rinne hummed as he crossed the room to grab the SSVRS headset. HiMERU never masked his distaste for their crossover shoot with ALKALOID, and Rinne wished he'd been there to witness it firsthand. "Didn't they ask us to do a sequel too?" he asked, just to watch HiMERU scowl.
The look that HiMERU shot Rinne was worth the provocation, his voice so frigid it sent shivers down Rinne's spine. "Do not speak of such things."
Rinne laughed as he settled back onto the couch, securing the SSVRS headset in place. "Sure, sure. Now how do you get this game started?"
"Sync the account to the headset, then click whatever event you want to play."
Following HiMERU's instructions, Rinne easily configured the game and turned his attention back to Niki's event list.
He quickly flicked away from the story Niki filmed with Mayoi - he was present at the recording, and while he laughed his ass off at the time, the thought of witnessing Niki being amorous with someone else - even doing something as silly as chasing Mayoi around - left a sour taste in his mouth.
Instead, he turned to the Date Planning Squad events. It was a lifetime ago when Niki joined his shuffle unit - the very first of its kind. That was back when Crazy:B was new, their future hazy and uncertain. He urged Niki to participate despite his reluctance and lack of romantic aspirations, and even helped critique Niki's boring, food-inspired date plans.
The end result was fuzzy in Rinne's mind - it'd been over a year, after all - but he remembered being a little impressed by Niki's rookie date. He grinned and selected the most recent event listed before securing the SSVRS headset steadfast over his eyes and ears.
He adjusted the visor so it fit snugly, and then clicked into the event. It was time to see how much Niki's date planning improved in a year. This was going to be fun.
For a moment, everything was an all-encompassing black. A vast, empty darkness greeted him when he blinked. Not a sound passed through from the common room, quiet as it was.
And then, color. Sound. It was vibrant, like a stray sunbeam rousing him from a dreamless sleep. He stood on a sparse street in a shopping district, hands stuffed into his pockets as he leaned next to the display window of a bakery. Bicycle bells rang as a family rode past, their draft rustling Rinne's hair into his eyes. The sun was close to the horizon, cresting the roof across the street. Evening was approaching.
Heavy footsteps sounded to his right, as if someone was rushing towards him. Rinne's head tilted towards the sound, a smile spilling across his face. He recognized the approaching gait.
"Thanks for waiting~ I got held up at work," Niki greeted, slightly out of breath. His cheeks were pink and the smile he met Rinne with was almost blinding. Not a single hair from his ponytail was out of place, despite his rush. The same couldn't be said for his rumpled shirt, or the flour handprint decorating his thigh.
"Took ya long enough," Rinne greeted, kicking off the wall and turning to face Niki. He froze, suddenly transfixed by the bar of words floating above Niki's head.
"Shiina Niki: Savior. Condition: Excited. Relationship Level: 92."
Rinne startled, one word sticking out as if it was highlighted, emboldened, and underlined.
Savior.
For a moment, he was bereft of breath. His chest came to a standstill despite the desperate pounding of his heart. His gaze fixed on the spot slightly above Niki, so much so that his eyes strained as he refused to blink, lest the words disappear.
Wasn't this HiMERU's account? He expected the high relationship level between his unitmates; despite HiMERU's attempts to be aloof and distant, Niki crossed that bridge during their time in the labyrinth, and HiMERU slowly opened up to all of Crazy:B as a result.
But to see the word savior there - it was impossible. There was no way that title applied to HiMERU. That word belonged to Rinne alone, reverently bestowed onto the one who saved him, the one he owed everything to.
Niki tilted his head, waving his hand in front of Rinne's face. "Hello~ Anyone home? We have a reservation to get to, y'know. This is no time to be spacing out!"
If this was really Niki, his scoldings wouldn't be so light and sweet. Well, his voice would be sweet, but his words would be careless and earn him a yank on his ponytail.
"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya," Rinne answered, batting Niki's hand away. He would worry about the relationship bar later. "Let's go to...wherever we're going tonight."
Niki led them down the quaint avenue, cagey about his plans for the date. The conversations he pulled Rinne into were clunky and generic, as expected from a dating game. He talked about a recipe he wanted to try (one he dragged Rinne into helping him shop for so he could carry groceries, one he cooked for Crazy:B, and his roommates, and half of Seisoukan), and asked Rinne about his day (Rinne dragged Niki to dance practice with him, because Niki was somehow a genius at being an idol but he was still sloppy, and while Rinne found it charming, it was something he really needed to work on).
It was a reminder that this was all a game, that this Niki wasn't real.
They arrived at a park, bustling with people and activities. The shadows of the trees stretched across pathways as night approached. Parents watched as their kids ran around a playground, their laughter mixing with the evening cicada song. Niki swung his arms beside him, sometimes brushing Rinne's shoulder, and each time Rinne pushed back the itch to crook his elbow around Niki's.
"So where're we goin'?" he asked for the fourth time.
"Don't you have any patience? Just wait and see~" Niki replied in kind.
They passed a vendor selling baked goods, the scent of savory pastry dough and sweet fruit drawing customers to her stand. The sugary smell coated Rinne's nose, so sweet he could almost taste it. He looked over at Niki, because if the scent was strong enough to entice him, then Niki was no match for it.
Sure enough, Niki was already looking at Rinne, eyes wide and pleading, as if he wasn't the one who was pushing them to get to their reservation. Unfortunately, Rinne made a promise long ago to keep Niki fed, and his hands pulled out his wallet out of habit.
"Yes, yes. Your faithful Rinne-kun will get you something from the vendor. But only if you heap praise upon me!"
"Yaaaay~ thank you, thank you!" Rinne waited a beat for Niki's usual "I love you, Rinne-kun!" that followed, but none came.
Right, he was in a video game. For a moment, it slipped his mind.
Despite the crowd, it only took a moment to buy Niki a sweet. Niki picked a slice of cherry cake, smelling of brown butter and topped with a thick red syrup. Niki took a moment to admire the look and smell of the cake before he took a bite.
Niki made satisfied little noises as he ate, little mm's in appreciation before he swallowed and launched into a ramble about the cake, commenting on things like moisture and cherry suspension. He praised vendor, and Rinne could see a calculating look as he memorized all the ingredients as he took another bite.
Niki held his fork towards Rinne, an offering of cake balanced on top. Well, if Niki insisted~ Rinne leaned in, but just as he opened his mouth around the cake, there was a clicking noise. The distinct click of a camera taking a picture.
"Ah-!" Niki jolted in alarm, the fork retracted before Rinne could bite down. He quickly placed himself between Rinne and the offending sound and began shepherding Rinne, trying to get him to retreat. "It's the paparazzi! Quick, we gotta get out of here, or else your face will be on every idol news site!"
Paparazzi? What were they, American celebrities? "What-?"
Niki didn't give Rinne a chance to object - he simply wrapped his lithe fingers around Rinne's wrist and took off, leaving Rinne no choice but to follow.
Together, they ran out of the park, into the darkening streets of the city. Bright flashes and heavy footsteps were on their tail. Rinne chanced a glance over his shoulder, and it was as Niki said: a group of gossip columnists and sleezy reporters followed only a few meters back.
There was a real weight where Niki's fingers tangled with his own. Niki was grinning, and tugged Rinne along when he began to drag his feet. At some point, the stilted voice lines and relationship bar faded away. A smile, real and gleeful, refused to leave Rinne's face, and Niki laughed the same way he always did when he shed his reservations and embraced the absurd situations Rinne dragged him into.
Everything else slid away as he let himself get swept up in the chase.
Niki skidded on his heel, yanking Rinne down a desolate alley with a dead end. There was a dumpster pushed against the wall, one that the pair easily jumped onto for a boost to get them over. Rinne flashed Niki a wild grin and they jumped down together, the crunch of rock and trash underfoot as they landed into the gritty other half.
Further and further they ran, through the city's streets, dodging pedestrians on the sidewalks and cars on the road, until the looming campus of a school came into view. Niki noticed a gap in the school gate, just large enough for Rinne to wiggle through. Their breath was short from running and laughter as they emerged on the other side, their footsteps coming to a stop in the courtyard under a giant blossoming cherry tree.
Rinne collapsed onto a flat bench, hand resting on his heaving chest. Niki fell to his knees beside the bench, sprawling across Rinne's legs. "I think...we lost them..." Niki panted, his relieved sigh rustling the fabric of Rinne's pants.
They lost their pursuers at the alley, but if Rinne let Niki know that, he'd get chewed out for making Niki run unnecessarily. "Why was the paparazzi after you in the first place?"
"After us," Niki corrected. "Looks like we've gained more attention that we thought, huh?"
"That's the most far-fetched thing out of this entire simulation."
"Nahaha, well you said to make the date more surprising next time." And like a flash, Rinne remembered Niki's boring attempt at a first date, one that lacked pizzazz, inspiration. "What's more surprising than getting chased through town to avoid notoriety?"
"I didn't mean something like this," Rinne replied with a sheepish smile.
"This way we both get surprised~" But then he sighed. "But that means now we won't make it to our dinner reservation... I've been on that waiting list for months!"
Rinne reached down and patted blindly at Niki, his hand landing somewhere on his upper back. The reservation must've been to somewhere really nice if the waiting list was that far out. Niki must've put a lot of thought into this. "If we can't make it today, then put yourself back on it. We'll just go next time."
Niki lifted himself from Rinne's legs, sitting back on his haunches. Rinne sat up too, turning so he was facing Niki. Niki's finger scratched at his cheek, his eyes averted to a pink flower petal dancing in the breeze. "Ah~" he intoned, suddenly shy. "Next time? You'd...you'd really go out with me again? Even after all this?"
His hair, shimmering with moonlight, swept up in the slight breeze. Flower petals floated like lanterns around them, picturesque and vibrant. He was ethereal, breathtaking - like the birth of a supernova.
Rinne was going to kiss him. Waiting until marriage excuse be damned, Rinne was going to kiss him.
Rinne's heart pounded in his chest, loud and crescendo that wasn't leftover from running. His palms were damp and his face was pink. His instinct to run away from his feelings was swept away like the flowers on the wind.
Niki was here, beside him. He held onto Rinne as they ran and refused to let go. He always refused to let Rinne go, time and time again. And now he was asking if Rinne would do this again?
Rinne lived in a world where no matter where he went, for better or for worse, he'd always stay beside Niki. No amount of trouble could ever sever the bond they'd woven together.
"Niki..." His response caught in his throat.
Niki hummed in response, tilting his head. His bashful smile was too wide to truly turn into a confused pout, his lips pursed just enough that Rinne's self control snapped like a wishbone. He wanted to taste the lingering cherry cake on those lips, wanted to feel the thrum of Niki's heart as his fingers cupped his neck, wanted to end the evening with fireworks behind his eyelids. He wanted-
He wanted-
Like startling awake from a dream, the image was yanked away as the SSVRS headset was pulled off him.
"If HiMERU knew this was all it took to give him some peace and quiet, he would've exploited Shiina like this long ago," HiMERU observed, standing over Rinne.
Rinne jolted, blushing as if someone threw a bucket of red paint at him. The Niki on the headset laughed again, bright and cheery and damning.
Right, this was-
And that was-
And he was-
HiMERU raised a manicured, judgemental eyebrow. "You're usually harder to ruffle than this. Maybe Oukawa was right about your feelings for Shiina."
Dazed, his face awash with surprise and embarrassment as he realized what, exactly, just happened, Rinne pulled his headband down to cover his eyes and cheeks as he twisted his eyelids shut. The rug had been pulled out from under his feet, leaving him bereft and vulnerable.
The worst part was the need to kiss Niki still thrummed inside him. Even after being startled, Rinne still longed to press his fingers into the soft skin of Niki's cheeks and the hard lines of his jaw. He wanted to watch those sweet blue eyes flutter shut with trust and anticipation as Rinne leaned close to press his lips against any part of Niki he wanted.
Tch. HiMERU was right, he normally was harder to ruffle. And Kohaku was too damn clever for his own good, whatever he said about Rinne's feelings. At least he could muster up some of his normal countenance, lifting his headband from where he'd been hiding in it to peek out at HiMERU. "Oh~? Kohaku-chan is interested in me~? Is this a budding love story between the straight-laced junior and his rebellious senior- oof-!"
HiMERU withdrew the tablet he let slip from his fingers onto the crown of Rinne's head with a droll "oops." As Rinne's hands rushed to cradle the spot, he retrieved his phone from where it fell against Rinne's stomach. "Honestly, Amagi, HiMERU doesn't know who you're trying to fool here."
Rinne grumbled, not sure of the answer himself.
"Well, HiMERU will catch you later. Don't forget we're meeting tomorrow afternoon."
"I'm the one who scheduled that, how could I forget?" Rinne retorted, but HiMERU was already walking out of the common room with only an answering wave of a magazine.
It took a few minutes for Rinne's face to return to its normal color, and a few more for his heart to calm to its normal pace. Then he spent a considerable amount of time sulking.
Stupid fake Niki. Stupid idol game, with its fake Niki. Now he was saddled with feelings and no outlet.
He didn't know how long he spent, put out and pouting, but eventually someone approached the common room from the kitchen, their footsteps beelining to Rinne's couch.
Rinne turned his head, and of course, who else could it be but-
"Hey," Niki greeted, smiling easily. He folded his arms over the edge of the couch, chin balanced atop them, looking down at Rinne. The ochre light of dusk sparkled in his eyes, a summer sunset over ocean waves, and a lump formed in Rinne's throat. He still really wanted to kiss him. He had to rip his eyes away lest he stare at Niki's lips.
"What're you doin' here?" he asked, the words coming out defensive as he fought the lovestruck smile that threatened to spill across his face.
"Nahaha, HiMERU-kun sent me a message on Hold Hands. He said he was done babysitting you, and that you weren't as annoying as usual so I shouldn't be too harsh on you tonight."
Rinne didn't fight the laugh that bubbled out of him. This was his Niki, the real one, whose tone was sweet but whose words were careless. It was almost unbearable, how fond Rinne was of him. It took all his restraint not to shamelessly pull Niki down on top of him where anyone could see. "Hasn't anyone taught you that some things are best kept to yourself?" he asked sheepishly.
"I don't wanna hear any complaints about manners from the guy who dragged me out of my morning meal prep to train for a concert almost a month away."
Rinne grinned viciously. "You can always use more dance practice~ We could go back to the training rooms. I'll really put your body through the ringer~"
"No way! I've had more than enough for one day!" Niki sighed; it was a sad, weary thing. It was also a lie - Niki was much too energetic to be left stagnant. Rinne did him a favor, dancing with him all morning.
"No fun~"
"Normally I would've avoided you for the rest of the day for a stunt like that! You're lucky HiMERU-kun texted. If he didn't, you would've been on your own for dinner."
Rinne perked up at that. "Oh? What's the dinner plan?"
Now that the subject turned to food, any annoyance slid off Niki like a raindrop rolling down a windowsill. He smiled brightly, and Rinne's heart skipped another beat. "I was thinking about making beef stroganoff, but is there anything you want?"
Giving in to his whims, a stray wave crashing over the seawall struggling to hold back his feelings, Rinne raised his hand to cradle Niki's cheek. It was squished from where Niki lay his chin on his arms. He took sweetly to the touch as Rinne traced his cheek with his thumb and curled his palm around Niki's jaw, eyes softening into crescents as he leaned into Rinne's touch.
"Let's go out for dinner instead," Rinne suggested. It would be his treat, but Niki would get suspicious if he said so. It wasn't like him to wear his heart on his sleeve.
"You're just gonna make me pay."
"You'll have to pay whether we go out for dinner or go to the grocery store to make it."
Niki narrowed his eyes at Rinne, as if trying to figure out what he was up to. But this was Niki, who hated wasting precious calories thinking too hard, so he didn't do it for long. "Then let's go to the new ramen stand that opened up recently." He grinned, the corner of his lips sweeping out across his cheeks and brushing against Rinne's palm.
In one fluid movement, as if he'd been shocked, Rinne was on his feet, back turned to Niki. His entire face was aflame, his heart jackhammering in his ears. He cradled the hand that touched Niki's mouth to his chest, the exact point of contact thrumming like it'd been branded.
"Rinne-kun?" Niki tilted his head in confusion.
"S-Sure! Ramen. Let's...do that." His voice wavered as he attempted to regain his composure. He was Amagi Rinne, dammit, he was supposed to be a riotous idol, unpredictable and uncontrollable - not some blushing young lovestruck fool!
He rounded out of the common room, brushing Niki's shoulder without looking at him. Looking at Niki, whose lips had just touched Rinne, whose lips Rinne wanted touching him more, would no doubt result in Rinne's doom.
"Wait, Rinne-kun. Just a moment."
Rinne took a deep, steadying breath, closing his eyes. He let himself feel the expansion and compression of his lungs, trying to will his body to calm down. When he opened his eyes, his heart still raced, but his shoulders loosened and the heat seeped from his cheeks. "What?"
There was no response, so he turned around, and for the second time this afternoon a rug was pulled out from under him because Niki was there, his face barely a centimeter from Rinne's. One hand caught Rinne's, while the other cupped Rinne's shoulder. The sudden brush of Niki's breath against his cheek was the spark that set off a wildfire, reigniting the blush across Rinne's face. Before Rinne could process Niki's sudden proximity, Niki did something even more diabolical.
He leaned all the way in.
Rinne's breath hitched as Niki's lips pressed into his, and it might as well been his last.
This wasn't SMISLT:LAB - this wasn't an idealized version of Niki meant to date a playable character. This was the real Niki, made of flesh and blood. The scent of spices lingered in his hair. Beads gently tapped Rinne's wrist from his bracelet, a shuffled foot pressed into Rinne's. Niki's head tilted to better fit their lips together as his hand lifted from Rinne's shoulder to cradle his cheek instead.
Before Rinne could react, Niki pulled back, eyes hooded and flicking up from Rinne's lips to meet his own.
Rinne's entire face lit up like a fire alarm, bright and alarmingly red. His tongue swiped out to trace where Niki kissed him, and Rinne felt delirious as he realized the only thing missing was the taste of cherry cake.
Niki laughed at him, laughed at him, that jerk, and then leaned back in and pressed a chaste kiss against the corner of his mouth. "You looked like you wanted to kiss me," he explained without prompting, taking a single step back.
Caught red-handed. Rinne turned his head towards the empty hallway, averting his eyes. Maybe that'd quell the urge to lean back in and kiss Niki senseless. "That...that doesn't mean you can just take what you want," he huffed.
"Nahaha, we're Crazy:B! That's all we ever do." He wasted no time tugging at Rinne's arm. His pinky dipped under Rinne's white beaded bracelet while he threaded his other hand's fingers through Rinne's. "And I want ramen."
Rinne sighed. Honestly, what was he going to do with Niki? "You asked if there's anything I want," Rinne complained, allowing Niki to pull him along out of the dorms.
Niki dipped his head towards Rinne, his bangs falling over his eyes, listening. Rinne bit his lip, still tingling from Niki's kiss. "Cherry cake," he said. The last missing ingredient.
Smiling, Niki squeezed his hand in promise. "I have the ingredients at the apartment. I was inspired to make one after a video shoot I did recently, but I haven't had the time to make it yet~"
The sigh that wracked out of Rinne felt like his soul leaving his body. "What am I going to do with you?" he asked aloud this time, and Niki laughed as he tugged Rinne impatiently.
Rinne couldn't help but grin back. He was going to kiss the taste of cherry cake off those lips.